Planitswiss, a long-term partner of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), was appointed as Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) for the 2025 ICN Congress in Helsinki.
Co-hosted with the Finnish Nurses Association, the four-day event welcomed thousands of nurses, healthcare leaders, and policymakers from over 130 countries, showcasing the critical role of nurses in global health, innovation, and policy.
With extensive in-house expertise spanning event management, digital platforms, AV, design, abstract management, and accreditation systems, planitswiss oversaw the full planning and execution of this landmark international congress.
Challenge
Delivering an event of this scale came with complex challenges:
- Stakeholder coordination: Bringing together ICN, the Finnish Nurses Association, WHO, national nursing associations, global NGOs, industry sponsors, and more than 65 exhibitors and 11 sponsors required seamless alignment.
- Scientific program pressure: With more than 10,000 abstracts submitted, managing reviews, quality checks, and e-poster systems under tight deadlines was a major task.
- Volunteer management: 90% of onsite staff were rotating volunteers, requiring repetitive training and supervision.
- Sustainability and legacy goals: ICN sought to embed environmental responsibility, fundraising, and long-term legacy outcomes into the congress design.
Solution
To overcome these challenges, plantiswiss drew on their full in-house expertise and months of meticulous planning to deliver seamless solutions:
- Volunteer management: Daily briefings and guided tours kept volunteers clear on their roles, with recommendations made to appoint dedicated supervisors in the future.
- Scientific review process: Additional reviewers were engaged, and onsite teams were mobilised to handle the 10,000+ abstracts and provide real-time troubleshooting.
- Sustainability and social impact: ESG principles were embedded throughout from choosing Messukeskus, a venue with strong sustainability practices, to coordinating fundraising and merchandise sales for ICN’s Global Citizen Engagement Fund and charitable foundations. Designing a legacy-focused program that launched the Student and Early Career Nurses Alliance and concluded with the Helsinki Communiqué.
- Technical and logistical delivery: Comprehensive services included:
- Full AV production across multiple stages.
- Simultaneous interpretation in five languages.
- Live streaming to a global audience.
- Registration, accreditation, sponsorship and exhibition management (65 exhibition booths and 11 sponsors).
- A dynamic congress website and mobile app.
- Daily catering and hospitality for thousands of delegates.
- Branding production throughout the venue.
Outcome
The ICN Congress 2025 was a milestone event that highlighted the power of nursing to influence global health.
- Global participation: Over 7,000 delegates from 137 countries attended, including policymakers, industry leaders, and nursing associations. An impressive 91% travelled from abroad, with the largest groups from Taiwan, China, United States, Canada, and Denmark.
- Program scale: Over 350 speakers delivered plenaries, symposia, policy cafés, and masterclasses. More than 10,000 abstracts were submitted, resulting in 3,000+ e-posters and 600+ presentations.
- Industry engagement: 65 exhibitors and 11 sponsors showcased the latest healthcare and nursing innovation.
- Economic impact: Based on industry benchmarks, the congress generated an estimated €10.5 million - €17.5 million in economic impact for Helsinki.
- Policy and legacy: The event launched the Student and Early Career Nurses Alliance, culminating in the adoption of the Helsinki Communiqué, and reinforced nursing’s role in universal health coverage, equity, and inclusion.
- Charitable contributions: Awards celebrated global contributions to nursing and humanitarian work, while fundraising and merchandise sales supported ICN’s foundations, scholarships, and leadership programs.
Through careful planning, operational excellence, and a strong focus on sustainability and legacy, planitswiss demonstrated the powerful outcomes associations can achieve by partnering with an IAPCO Accredited PCOs to deliver impactful international congresses.
